Strangers - Zak Bagans
by ladyc0bra
Summary: SEQUEL TO "HOME." / Fast-forward 9 years into the future. Zak and Lily are enjoying newlywed bliss, Avaya is trying to fit into her teenage perspective, and a whole new element has been added to the family's dynamic: the paranormal. Despite the fact that they're not exactly the normal family, they're happy. Then the demons come to play.
1. Dread (Zak)

I slipped away from Nick, Aaron and Billy. I walked over to a small belt of trees where I could see the sun rising between the interwoven, naked branches. I dug my iPhone out of my pocket and called home. It rang five times before she answered. Of course she was sleeping; it was barely eight in the morning. But I'd made a promise to her and I intended to keep it.

"Mm…hello?" I smiled at her sleepy voice.

"Hey baby," I murmured into my phone. I kicked at a dirt clump near the toe of my shoe. I was missing her a lot. Her voice instantly made me feel safe, despite the horror I'd just witnessed inside the house behind me.

"You're alive," she said softly. I could hear her moving in the bed sheets.

"Yeah, but I'm completely drained," I yawned. Perfect timing. "Did you sleep okay?"

"I never sleep okay when you're gone," she admitted. "I worry too much about you."

I flushed as I admired the sunrise. "I'll be home by tomorrow afternoon," I consoled. "You know, I'm looking at the sunrise right now and it reminds me of you."

She chuckled softly in my ear. "Oh really? Why's that?"

"Because, it's beautiful," I can hunt demons and be corny too, there's nothing wrong with it.

"Oh, you sap," she joked.

"I can practically hear you blushing all the way from Ohio," I laughed.

"Shh,"

"Is Avaya still asleep?"

"Oh yes. She had a rough night too, I think. She was worried about you."

I sighed. "Well when she wakes up tell her I'm okay. I miss you both."

"'Kay. I love you, Zak."

"I love you too, Lil."

I hung up, looked at the sunrise one more time with a more relieved sense of appreciation and headed back to the Ghost Adventures van. I clambered into the backseat with Nick, who had his head against the window and was fast asleep. I smirked at him while I pulled my seatbelt on.

"Aaron, you still awake?" I asked, leaning towards the front seat.

"Yeah, man," Aaron answered. He was a lot quieter than normal.

"You doing okay?"

"Um, yeah I'll be fine," he muttered. "I just need to get some sleep."

I frowned. We'd just finished investigating an old decrepit, extremely haunted family home in Ohio that had reports of demonic and poltergeist activity, and needless to say it had been rough. Aaron had been especially affected due to his fear and I was worried about him. He was never this quiet and reserved.

"If you're sure, man," I sighed. I was too drained and tired to argue with him. I could just hope he'd be better by the time we woke up and got on the airplane.

"Were Lily and Avaya worried?" Billy asked as he drove away from the house from hell.

"As always," I smirked sleepily. "I can't wait to get home to them."

"No doubt," Billy chuckled. "You've got a nice family back there, Bagans. They really love you."

"And I really love them," I mumbled as my eyes began to slowly close.

Nothing felt quite as good as the moment when I descended from the plane and my feet touched Las Vegas ground. I felt refreshed, renewed, and incredibly excited to hail a cab and get home. I checked the time on my phone. Lily was probably out in the backyard with Avaya and Gracie, reading a book. I felt more at home just picturing it in my mind.

With my job, it called for me being away from home a lot. Lily couldn't always come with me because she was working too and in all honesty, I didn't feel comfortable having her and Avaya with me. I tried to keep any bad energy that could attach itself to me away from my family. Regardless, the distance and the danger that came along with ghost hunting weren't comforting for me, my fiancée, or Avaya.

As I hopped in the backseat of a cab and told the driver where to take me, I sat back and reminisced on how I'd even gotten involved in this crazy profession. I say crazy because it really was insane, what I was doing. A lot of people just didn't understand. "Where's the enjoyment in trying to provoke the paranormal?" they'd ask. Those who weren't accepting declared me a fraud. They could say what they wanted. I did it because I know ghosts exist, and I want the rest of the world to know it too.

It'd started 7 years ago when I had seen that apparition in the bed and breakfast in Michigan. I'd been scared out of my wits and so confused, because I had never believed in ghosts. But when I'd looked up and seen that lady standing by the bed watching me, I didn't have much of a choice. There was no denying it once she disappeared before my eyes while I stood stock still. From there my fascination only grew. Thank god for Lily; she somehow put up with me this entire time I was spiralling into insanity. She let me figure it out and listened when I had something to get excited over. Nick had always believed in ghosts, and when I told him what I'd seen he got more excited than I had. Aaron was very reluctant to believe me, let alone research the paranormal world. The whole thought of it freaked him out. The more Nick and I delved into it the less time Aaron spent with us. We got him to come around though. A couple years later we were making a documentary where we went ghost hunting and it gained a lot more success than any of us had planned. From there we expanded into a TV show that aired on the Travel Channel on Friday nights. It was pretty incredible to be doing what we're doing for a living, but it definitely puts a strain on a few things.

Lily and Avaya still remained by my side throughout it all, though. Lily said as long as I remained safe she'd try to be okay with it. Avaya just didn't want anything to get to her at night. I swore to her I'd keep her protected. A lot had changed since I'd first met Lily, and although my newfound interests and job put a lot of stress on her sometimes, she had still said yes when I'd proposed to her last year. I think if she's still willing to marry me after being in a relationship that only got weirder over the course of 9 years, there's a good chance she'll stick around no matter what.

There were a couple times that I'd ended up bringing work home with me. Nothing too serious and whatever it was hadn't hurt Lily or Avaya. It'd caused a bit of a stir and scared us, but it didn't actually hurt us. It'd thrown some things and moved things around but it never attacked or possessed any of us, thankfully. After some heavy cleansing and purification of my entire house we managed to get rid of it. I was promised that we'd be safe from there on out, and I really hoped that was the case. I'd seen a spirit tug on Lily's hair and another give Avaya chills and that was all I ever wanted to see happen to them. It was because of my family that the thought of a spirit hurting a woman or a child made me taste poison.

Speaking of, I caught sight of my home out of the backseat window of the car. A huge grin broke out on my face and I had my seatbelt off and was paying the cab driver before he'd even put it in park. I rushed to get my bags out of the trunk and booked it up the front walk to the door. I didn't even bother going inside, I just threw my bags in there. I could hear Avaya's voice in the backyard along with the unmistakable sound of Gracie's tags on her collar jingling as she played. I crept around the side of the house to the fence and peeked over the top.

Avaya was throwing a ball for Gracie. Every time I saw her I was in awe of how big she'd gotten. She'd grown from a curious little five year old to an incredibly smart fourteen year old. And, she looked just like her mother. Lily was sitting on the patio with a book clutched firmly in her hand, just as I'd pictured it. Her long brown hair was up in a messy bun and she had a pair of my black sunglasses on. As soon as I saw her in her flowing tank top and shorts I needed her in my arms.

"Don't throw the ball over the fence again," Lily said. "I think the neighbours might scream at me if they catch me sneaking into their backyard to retrieve it again."

I unlatched the fence with eager hands and stepped into the backyard. "You won't have to, baby. That's my job."

They both snapped their heads towards me and squealed. Gracie barked and bolted into my legs with her tail wagging furiously. I laughed and scratched her soft ears. Avaya reached me first and nearly knocked the wind out of me with her hug. I held her to me and kissed the top of her head.

"I missed you, dad." She said. Her voice was muffled by my shirt.

As always, a part of me melted when she called me that. I'd never asked her to. So the fact that she did it anyway meant a lot to me.

"I missed you too," I said.

She pulled back and my eyes landed on my smoking hot fiancée. She was all flawless beauty, shiny hair, long legs and a smile that could shoot me dead. God, I fucking love her.

"I missed you too, daddy," she purred. Avaya gagged beside me.

"Save that language for tonight, you fox," I winked.

She laughed and threw her arms around my neck to kiss me. I held her flush to my body and dipped her backwards, smiling against her lips when she squealed into the kiss. God I'd missed her!

"Ew, that's enough," Avaya muttered.

Lily and I laughed and separated. Avaya walked back over to the edge of the patio to play with Gracie some more. Lily shuffled back to the table and poured me a glass of iced tea. I took it graciously and downed half of it right away.

"So, how was it?" Lily asked, taking her seat.

"Well we got plenty of good evidence, let me just put it that way," I answered, scratching the back of my head.

Lily frowned. "A bad kind of evidence?"

"I won't be forgetting that lockdown for awhile, I think." I sighed heavily and sat down on a chair.

"Did anyone get possessed?" Avaya piped up, throwing Gracie's ball for the millionth time.

"Not really," I answered, "at least not full-on."

"So there were partial possessions?" Avaya looked at me over her shoulder. Her brown hair, exactly like her mom's, cascaded down her back.

"I don't like the sound of that at all," Lily said sternly.

I swirled my iced tea around in its glass. "It wasn't so much me as it was Nick and Aaron," I explained. "Nick kept saying he was exhausted during the last three or four hours of the lockdown and when we got to the van he passed out right away. He was just eerily quiet; like he didn't even want to film anything. Aaron was really quiet, too. There was one room in particular he refused to go in and he wouldn't tell us why. I forced him inside and then after that he barely spoke a single word."

"Zak…" Lily sighed. She didn't like how controlling I could be over the boys during lockdowns. I don't think she liked my bossy side at all, regardless of who I was using it on.

"We gotta do it for the evidence, Lil," I said. "Ghosts love Aaron because he's vulnerable."

"I know, I know,"

"Did Aaron get scared out of his wits?" Avaya inquired.

"As always," I chuckled.

"Ah, it should be a good episode then."

I rolled my eyes and finished my iced tea. I looked over at Lily. She was picking at a loose string on her shorts. I could see that she was lost in her head as usual. The girl is the queen of over thinking things. I reached across the narrow table and lightly brushed her arm with my fingers.

"Hey," I murmured.

She looked over at me inquisitively and like I'd pulled her out of a daze.

"Everything's okay," I reminded her. I'd said those words to her a lot. Every time I came home from a lockdown she worried I may have brought something with me or gotten hurt. I remember when we did our first lockdown for our series at Bobby Mackey's Music World I'd come home with three defined scratches down my spine. She'd been livid over that. She wanted me to stop immediately but of course I couldn't. Thankfully she'd toughed it out for me.

"I know," she whispered. "I'm glad."

I held my hand palm-up on top of the table and she firmly grasped it in her own. I beamed at her and then looked out at my backyard where Avaya was now splayed out on her back in the grass while Gracie laid on top of her. I was feeling a dramatic change from the heavy sensation I'd been experiencing just the other night during lockdown. I was feeling incredibly light and happy and at peace with everything. I was back with my family where I belonged. I was home.

Lily kissed my jaw while she nuzzled against my side, clutching the blankets on our bed to her bare chest. I wrapped my arm tightly around her and buried my face in her hair, which still smelled like her coconut shampoo and conditioner combo. I breathed it in deep. You never realize the small things you miss when you go away for just a couple days. We'd both caught our breath and were settling down to sleep after taking some time to reconnect.

She sighed in contentment. "I can finally sleep easy tonight."

I chuckled. "Isn't that a relief?"

"I suppose you need it more than I do. You were out demon hunting until the wee hours of the morning like a crazy person."

"I'm not crazy, I'm passionate," I corrected. "And I'm used to having a weird sleeping schedule. I think, if worst comes to worst, I'll just lie here and watch you sleep for a little while. That always calms me into a semi-conscious stupor."

"Most people would be creeped out if they knew someone was watching them sleep," she giggled, "but you make it sound so romantic."

I grinned. "I am the romance master."

She looked up at me cheekily. "I think you just proved that, my man." Her fingers walked slowly up my bare torso.

I chuckled and bowed my head to kiss her, but as I did so a searing pain crashed like an angry wave in my head. I groaned and clenched my eyes shut to try and ward it off and it faded slowly but I could still feel a numb pain in my temples.

"Zak, are you okay?" Lily asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I responded through clenched teeth. "I think I just need a Tylenol."

"There's some in the medicine cabinet…do you want me to go get it?" she asked, pulling back from me.

"No, no, I can grab it, baby,"

I threw off the covers and shuffled off to the bathroom just next door in the hallway. I dug around in the medicine cabinet until I found the bottle of Tylenol stuffed behind the hydrogen peroxide. I shook two of the white pills into my palm and was about to toss them onto my tongue when the pain hit again. I faltered and the pills skittered into the sink, rattling against the porcelain. I gripped the edge of the marble counter with one hand and used my other to put pressure on my temples. Flashes of a dark hole filled my head. I was falling down the hole and it smelled of dirt and blood. I felt a sickening sensation of dread swallow me whole. It hit me as a wave of nausea and I gagged a few times, tasting the sour bile on the back of my tongue. I felt it slowly fading again and I threw my eyes open. They ached when the light hit them but I blinked that back, too. The nausea came back but receded quickly that time. It took me a moment of heavy breathing before I came around. I picked the Tylenol up out of the sink and sighed at them. I suddenly didn't think they'd be of much use. What I'd just experienced was unlike any standard headache I'd ever had. It was a terrible pain that I felt all over, like it was starting in my head and pulsing downwards through my nerves. I'd gotten a bad feeling with it. My body ached like I'd just won a war. I had a feeling that was only the beginning, though. Once again I'd brought my work home with me.

I wanted to scream out or break something. I was sure everything was okay when I'd gotten home. I'd felt fine all evening up until that point. But since I couldn't make a ruckus, I swallowed the Tylenol pills just in case and sauntered back into the bedroom. I lied to Lily and said I felt better. First thing tomorrow though, while Lily was out running errands and Avaya was at school, I was going to get the house cleansed once again. I had to keep them protected. Through it all, they were my top priorities. I needed them to be safe. The damn spirits could beat the hell out of me, but I would sooner die than let them ever lay an ugly finger on my family.


	2. Dislike (Zak)

Zak's P.O.V

I opened my eyes to my own room for once. Damn, it felt good! I nuzzled down into my pillow once more, relishing in the feeling I'd been missing for too long. Hotel beds got really tiring after awhile.

I turned away from the window and back to Lily's side of the bed but she wasn't there. I checked my phone. It was nearly noon! She would've got up and dropped Avaya off at school already, which meant I was out of time to secretly have the house cleansed while she ran errands. I sighed and got out of bed, running my fingers through my limp hair. I'd just have to tell Lily what I had to do and she'd have to be okay with it. I didn't really have much choice.

I fumbled for my glasses on my bedside table and put them on. I scratched my hip bone, right above the top of my pyjama bottoms, and walked down the wooden steps that led me into the expansive kitchen. Lily had her back to me, chopping something up by the sink. I smirked, admiring the way the sun caught her messy ponytail. I'd missed her a lot, even though I hadn't been gone for that long. I crept up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist, planting a kiss on the side of her exposed neck. She gasped before smiling and putting one hand over my own.

"Morning sleepyhead," she said softly.

"Morning, Miss Lady." I said, still holding her to my front. "What are you making?"

"Burritos," She chuckled as Gracie came prancing into the kitchen and sat by her feet, tail wagging. "I think Gracie wants me to share."

"You think?" I grinned, leaning down to kiss my pooch between the ears. "You want some beef, don't ya, Grace?"

She yipped in response and her tail wagged faster.

"Okay, okay, but just one more!" Lily said, snagging a thinly sliced piece of beef and holding it out for Gracie to take. Once Gracie had it in her hungry mouth she ran off to eat it.

I raised an eyebrow at Lily. "'Just one more?' How many has she had?"

"Only a few pieces…" Lily mumbled. "I knew you'd have something to say about it so I kept the amount low."

"Well yeah I'm gonna have something to say about it! I'm supposed to be spoiling her and you're supposed to be the one telling me to stop it." I took a seat at the dark granite kitchen island.

Lily turned around and put her hands on her hips, giving me a stern glare. "You want me to go boss lady on you? Is that your problem, Bagans?"

I raised an eyebrow at her commanding voice. A slow smirk cracked my expression. "Damn," I breathed, "I think that's going to be the least of my concerns if you keep talking like that."

She dropped her hands and chuckled, sauntering over to drape her arms around my neck. "Save it, you horn dog," She pecked me on the lips. "That talk is reserved for the dungeon; you know that."

She walked back to the stove where her burrito mixture was sizzling away. She swayed her hips simply because she knew I'd be looking. Damn it, she drove me crazy. Sometimes I felt like we were Gomez and Morticia in _The Addams Family_; we could be at a classy auction or something and if I got that one look from her we'd be making everyone look away.

I snatched the paper, which had been sitting by a bowl of oranges, and dragged it in front of me. The headline was depressing, as usual. Would there ever be a day when the news found something more interesting to report on than politics and celebrities?

"Speaking of the dungeon," I muttered while I perused the front page, "Avaya didn't sneak down there again, did she?"

"No, not that I know of. Why?" Lily answered.

"Because one there's things lurking down there that I don't need attacking her, and two, I'm pretty sure the last time you and I…_mmhm'd_ down there we left some things out. I don't know about you, but I'd hate to scar the poor girl by reminding her that her parents have sex from time to time with a pair of handcuffs."

Lily burst out laughing. It resulted in her dropping another slice of roast beef to the floor, which Gracie quickly scooped up in her mouth.

"Shit!" Lily giggled as Grace ran off with the meat. She turned to face me. "Ugh, can you imagine? She really never, _ever_ needs to know what we do down there. Please promise me we'll always keep that locked up tight."

I smirked. "I promise."

Lily finished wrapping up the burritos and walked over to the island, sliding a plate in front of me.

"I made it into a sort-of breakfast burrito, just for you, sleepyhead." She gave me a kiss as she walked past me.

"Thank you, sweetie," I said, pushing aside the newspaper for my burrito. Lily poured me a glass of orange juice and we ate in silence for a little bit.

I started to tap my foot in dreadful anticipation of what I was about to say. For a second I thought, hey, maybe I won't have to tell her. Maybe, best case scenario, I'm just crazy. I felt an uncomfortable feeling trickle down my spine, like someone was watching me. I knew I had to tell her. I'd be putting my family at risk if I didn't just suck it up and get on with it.

"Hey, Lily?" I said, finishing off my orange juice.

"Yes, dear?" she said, looking up from her _Cosmopolitan_ magazine.

I bit my lip. "You know how I was saying that this last lockdown got pretty dark?"

Her eyes narrowed infinitesimally. "Yes…"

"And you know how the darker lockdowns have a stronger effect on the guys and me…"

"Uh-huh…"

"I'm worried that I may have…um, brought something home with me," I let the words out in a jumbled mess. "I'd like to get the house cleansed and blessed, just in case."

Lily just stared at me for an eternal moment before sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose. I know she hated it when I said things like that. She hated having to worry about something she couldn't see attacking her in her own home. She hated having to be extra strict with Avaya because there was a ghost in the house. And she wasn't the least bit religious, so she didn't particularly like the idea of a priest coming in and blessing the house. I felt really awful seeing her get stressed out over it. She knew this was part of my job sometimes, though. She'd been warned. But, like she said, just because she was warned about it didn't mean she had to hate it any less.

"Zak, please tell me this isn't going to be a repeat of Bobby Mackey's," she begged. "I can't handle that again."

I clicked my tongue at her. "Lily, look at me. I'm fine. This is nothing like that, okay? I'm just getting a weird feeling every now and again and I want to be safe and cover all the bases, that's all."

I actually cringed, remembering when I'd returned from Bobby Mackey's Music World. I'd been distant, cold, and irritable. I'd snapped on Avaya for asking where the scissors were and full-blown screamed at her. I can still see her eyes, welling up with shocked tears, before she ran away from me. I can still hear Lily's frantic yelling late into the night, mixed up with my own. I can still hear her telling me she was going to pack up and go to live with Anastasia if I didn't snap out of it. Bobby Mackey's had nearly destroyed my family.

She sighed heavily. "I don't like this, Zak," she declared.

"I know, baby, I know you don't," I consoled. "But I have to, okay? It's the only way I can protect you and Avaya."

"I know, I know," she muttered, clearing the island of our dishes. "I still don't like it."

She shuffled over to the dishwasher and started to place the dirty dishes in their respected slots. She was far more quiet and ominous so I shoved away from the island and walked up behind her, putting one arm around her waist. I leaned down to kiss her shoulder, bare from her black tank top.

"Please don't be mad at me," I whispered. "I didn't mean to bring anything home."

She turned to look at me and her brow knitted together with concern. "I'm not mad at you, Zak. I know this isn't your fault. I'm mad at the damn spirits who won't leave you alone! That's what I don't like about your job because if they attach themselves to you, they're attaching themselves to me and Avaya too."

"Trust me, you're not the only one who's fed up with them," I muttered darkly. "But connecting with the other side is dangerous, you know that. Every job has a drawback, this is mine. I really do try to keep them away in any way I can but sometimes my methods don't work."

"Yeah," she gave a small sigh and shut the dishwasher. "Go call Father Paranormal. I'll take Gracie for a walk or something."

She started to walk away but I grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. I made her look me dead in the eye. I didn't want her just dismissing me like that. I knew she hated all the spirits that had already infected our home and refused to leave and I know she hated the only way I knew how to keep her safe. But, like every time before, I had to make her understand why I was doing it.

"I love you," I said firmly. "It's because I love you that I'm doing this. You've seen what some of these spirits have done to me; I'll do anything to stop that from happening to you or Avaya. My family's safety comes first here, alright?"

She nodded. "I know, love."

I heaved a sigh. I could relax. We were okay. I caught sight of the engagement ring on her left hand and smirked. I pointed to it.

"In times like this just remember, you said yes," I winked.

"Oh, I know. What was I thinking?" She grinned and walked away, likely to find Gracie's leash.

I watched her go and shook my head at her sarcastic mannerisms. Deep down underneath it all she loved me. She had to, because with all the paranormal shit that surrounds me she would've definitely left me by now if she didn't. I couldn't say I didn't have something to be thankful for at least.


	3. Reverie (Lily)

Lily's P.O.V

"C'mon, Grace," I groaned, pulling on her leash, "how many times do you have to pee in a minute?"

Gracie looked at me with her tongue lolling out of the side of her mouth and her tail wagging. I couldn't be mad at her for stopping constantly after that. One look from her eye-patched face and I was done for.

I smiled at her and tilted my head towards the house. "We're home," I said. "Let's go find Zak."

She yipped at his name and her tail wagged faster. She had a very special bond with him for sure. I remembered the day we went in to get her from the NSPCA. Zak was more excited than Avaya was! They had tons of adorable puppies and dogs to choose from, but the second we went back to look this flying ball of white and black fur rushed Zak and nuzzled right into him. And that was seriously all it took. Gracie warmed up to all of us and we loved her immediately. That love hasn't faded for an instant since the day we brought her home with us.

"Lily?" I could hear Zak yelling for me.

"Zak? Where are you?" I yelled back. Gracie's ears perked up and she tilted her head at the house while she tried to locate Zak.

"In the backyard," he responded, "c'mere."

"C'mon, Gracie," This time she came willingly, trotting along beside me to the back gate. I reached up and over to unlatch it and stepped onto the little stepping stones that led to the patio. Zak was sitting cross-legged, cleaning out the fountain and reassembling it. I unclipped Gracie from her leash and she ran full-tilt into his side, causing him to make an "oomph" noise.

"Hey, Grace!" he exclaimed. "How was your walk?"

Gracie licked his face all over and then sat down on her haunches, tail still wagging furiously.

I chuckled as I strolled over to him. He gave me a crooked grin and I slipped my sunglasses up into my hair, casting a curious glance in the fountain's direction.

"What are you doing now, dear?" I asked.

"I just cleaned it up," he answered, gesturing towards the fountain. "It had some gross residue crap on it and a couple leaves at the bottom."

"I see," I nodded and then looked uneasily over at the house. "Is it…did the…is it done?"

Zak frowned slightly and gave a curt nod. "Yeah, he left just before you got here. Everything has been cleaned and he said he didn't run into any problems."

"Maybe it was nothing then," I suggested.

"Yeah…maybe…" Zak tapped a cloth he was holding against his knee. I could tell he didn't think it was nothing. He definitely thought it was something, and the scary part was that he was usually right about these things.

"Have you been inside the house since?" I asked, taking a seat next to him on the ground.

He shook his head. "No, not yet,"

"Oh," I nodded. "Well…it'll be okay, right? I mean, this was the same guy that did it before, and it was okay then…"

"Yeah, I'm sure it'll be fine," He rested his head against mine. "I'm more worried about you and Avaya being fine though."

I chuckled softly. "We're more worried about you being fine, honestly."

"We're all fine," I could hear a smile in his voice.

I played with the ring on my left hand. The silver band covered in extravagant black diamonds with one white one in the middle set my butterflies racing in my stomach. I grinned like a maniac.

"More than fine," I said. Zak gave me a curious look. I chuckled. "We're getting married in a few weeks!"

He smiled. "Ah, that's right," He enveloped me in his large arms. "And then a honeymoon to Bermuda, where we'll have a whole beachfront mansion to ourselves."

"I'm so excited," I snuggled against him.

Our wedding date was set for the 31st of October, and it was already the 6th. We had everything we needed: an outside area for the ceremony, a large venue for the dance, my dress, Zak's tux (which I couldn't wait to see him in…drool), cake, catering, a DJ…we were set. As long as no one in our wedding party backed out last minute, that is. The day after we get married we have to board a plane that will take us to Bermuda, where an empty mansion is overlooking the light blue waters and waiting for us. I had a friend who lives there from December to June and works there, and since she isn't there in November she was letting us rent it for a week. If I shut my eyes I could visualize the sand on my feet, the warm sun on my skin and Zak right next to me. It was a beautiful thing to think about.

"Me too, baby. Me too," I felt Zak's lips against my hair. "I can't wait to wake up next to Lily Bagans…"

I smirked at him. "Why? Was Lily Manning not good enough for you?"

He shrugged. "Eh…she had her moments I guess."

I just shook my head and chuckled at him. He hauled himself up, pulling me with him, and snatched a dirty tennis ball off the ground. Gracie got up immediately, her eyes locked on the smelly toy. I took a seat on the patio chair to watch the show.

"Ready, Gracie?" Zak asked, waving it in the air before tossing it to the end of the fence. "Go get it!"

She took off running for it. They played fetch for a surprisingly long time. I kind of zoned out for a bit as my mind drifted to other things. The wedding talk had sparked a change in thought patterns. Now I couldn't help but remember when the "wedding talk" even started…

_"A surprise date night?" I asked, stepping into the Challenger. "We haven't done one of these in a long time."_

_ "Well where's the fun in date night if you can't be spontaneous?" Zak asked, revving up his precious car._

_ "I suppose," I said, plucking at my black shorts. I tugged on my long white shirt that was adorned with small black skulls. "I just hope I'm dressed for the occasion."_

_ Zak smiled at me, looking at me out of the corner of his eye as we took off. "You look beautiful," he said. _

_ "Thank you," I blushed deeply. "You look especially fancy yourself."_

_ He was wearing a black cotton shirt with a collar and everything, brand new jeans and his black and red Supras. He had his nicest gold watch on, his hair was freshly gelled and spiked up, and I could smell his warm, yummy cologne drifting over to me in the cab. I smiled. God, he was hot. I wouldn't say it outright though; he'd get too cocky. He knew he was hot without me even saying anything anyways._

_ "Well it's date night," he replied. "Why wouldn't I dress fancy?"_

_ I shrugged. "I don't know. Usually we just go out to the strip or for dinner and a movie. I guess that's why I'm kind of nervous for this surprise of yours." _

_ He chuckled at that. "Don't be nervous, sweetie," he said. "A Zak Bagans custom surprise is the best kind, you know that."_

_ "Mm, true…" I smirked at a distant memory of a surprise knock on my door eight years ago._

_ It wasn't long before we pulled up in front of a large, intimidating building. Zak put the Challenger in park and looked out the windshield at it. I saw a sign over the door proclaiming _The Cavern._ I gawked a bit._

_ "We have arrived, m'lady," Zak said._

_ "Zak…this is pretty swanky," I breathed. I reached for my door handle._

_ "Wait, wait!" Zak exclaimed, making me yank my hand back in surprise. I watched with a stunned amusement as he raced around the front of the sleek silver car, coming to a halt in front of my door. He straightened his shirt and opened my door with a flourish, holding a hand out for me to take._

_ I chuckled at him and let him help me out of the car. "Thank you, sir," I said._

_ His eyes simmered as he shut the door and locked the car. "Oh, you're so welcome, m'lady."_

_ I grinned as he locked arms with me and led me inside. Once we were through the front doors I fully understood why they called it _The Cavern._ It was very dimly lit and yawning, and the walls appeared to be carved from stone. There was a fireplace behind the front desk, where red and orange ambers were warmly crackling. A lady with short brown hair looked up at us and smiled._

_ "We have a reservation," Zak stated proudly._

_ "Okay, and what's the name?" she asked, pulling open a large binder wrapped in black velvet._

_ "Bagans," Zak answered, "for two."_

_ She flipped a few pages and then nodded. "Zak?" she asked._

_ "Correct,"_

_ "Alright, if you'll just follow me," She grabbed two velvety menus and led us down a wide hallway to the right of us. She walked us all the way to the back of another cavernous, semi-circle room, and we sat down at a heavy wooden table._

_ "Your waiter will be with you shortly," She smiled one last time before leaving us alone for a bit._

_ "Oh my god," I murmured, gazing around at the dark room. "This is crazy."_

_ The way the lights were placed, it was almost like we were surrounded by flickering candles and torches. It was warm and cozy, and if I wasn't seated at a thick wooden slab, I could've easily taken a nap._

_ "Do you like it?" he asked. "A lot of people recommended it to me. I guess it just opened last month."_

_ "I love it," I answered. "I wouldn't want to eat here on a daily basis because it looks pricey, but it's pretty beautiful for a restaurant."_

_ He smiled at me from across the table. I only caught his eye for a second before I continued to gaze around and gawk at everything. I almost didn't notice the black bear pelt they had nailed above the fake fireplace right next to us. I looked up into its gaping jaws and swallowed. Somehow creatures like that continued to be intimidating, even after they were dead and skinned._

_ "Hello, how are we this evening?" I snapped out of it when a young blonde man in black and white walked up to our table. I chewed on my lip, realizing I hadn't even opened my menu._

_ "We're fantastic," Zak answered. _

_ "Can I get you anything to drink?" _

_ I looked at Zak curiously. He was perusing the wine and champagne menu. I could see it._

_ "Yeah, can we get a bottle of your Veuve Clicquot, please?" he inquired._

_ "Of course," our waiter responded, writing it down on his paper pad. "I'll be right back with that, sir."_

_ After he'd left, I piped up, "Champagne, huh? We're getting fancier by the second! Is there something missing here?" I squinted at him in suspicion._

_ He smiled and looked down at his menu, raising his palms in surrender. "I swear I don't know anything," he said._

_ "You better not, kid. I'll punt you into next week…" I threatened playfully. "No one gets fancier than me…"_

_ "Oh, yeah?" He raised his eyebrows and I felt his shoe purposely tap mine under the table with some force._

_ I gasped. "Yes!" I said, kicking him right back._

_ We kicked each other under the table for a couple minutes and the entire time I was saying "We're supposed to be fancy! We're supposed to be fancy!" amidst giggles. We stopped when Zak spotted our waiter returning and he gave me a stern look, like I was the only one misbehaving, before smirking._

_ One thing about Zak, he was a lot better at choosing drinks than me. I just got whatever sounded like it'd be decent, but he got what he knew would be amazing. And the champagne he'd ordered was delicious. I was careful to drink it from my glass flute slowly. The bubbles popped on my tongue and fizzled down my throat. It had undertones of apples and cherries, all mixed together with 15% sunshine._

_ After we'd ordered our food and received our appetizer of naan bread with four fancy dips, our eternal conversation quieted down. I watched as Zak fidgeted with his napkin, ripping the edges up. I tilted my head._

_ "What's on your mind?" I asked._

_ He lifted those cool blue eyes to my face and smiled shyly. "Oh, not much," he shrugged. "I'm just thinking about how lucky I am tonight."_

_ I blushed. "Oh?" Personally I don't think he was half as lucky as I was._

_ "Well, yeah, look at this! I get to take the most beautiful girl in the universe out on a date. I get to make her laugh and blush and smile at me…and she's all mine even after eight years of deepening craziness." He continued to pluck at his napkin as he spoke and I lightly placed my hand over his. _

_ "I wouldn't have it any other way." I smiled._

_ He unthawed a bit and flipped his hand over so he could play with mine. I just watched him. It was one of those moments where you can physically feel the adoration swell up in your chest and you just want to let it out in one long, dreamy sigh. Zak made me feel like that a lot, actually. He could be very bossy and moody, but he was always quick to make me melt with one smile or one "I love you." He was kind of weird like that, but I never wanted him to change. And yeah, our relationship was a weird one. I had a thirteen year old daughter and Zak hunted ghosts for a comfortable living. But I really wouldn't want it to change, not one bit._

_ He straightened his shoulders and grinned proudly. "We have quite the little family, don't we?" he said. "I'm happy."_

_ I chuckled. "Yes, and lots of memories too," _

_ "Oh, god," Zak laughed. _

_ I giggled along with him. "Do you remember when Avaya was 8 and it was Mother's Day? You made pancakes with her to bring to me in bed and by the time you got them to me they had three bites taken out of them?" _

_ "She kept eating them when I had my back turned!" he said. "I guess I should've got her some breakfast first."_

_ I shook my head at him. "Our Father's Day surprises to you were always flawless, but you just couldn't get that breakfast in bed thing to work out right."_

_ He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know."_

_ Our food was placed in front of us soon enough and we dug in. It was delicious. I was thoroughly impressed with the place. I thanked Zak for picking it out._

_ "Anything for you," he smirked. "I'm just happy you like it." _

_ "Well it's date night, why wouldn't I like it?" I asked._

_ He simply shrugged and peeled another chunk of meat off the bone of his steak. We actually ordered dessert, which was something we didn't normally do. Usually we were so full from the actual meal that we couldn't hold a plate of dessert, but Zak had insisted this time. He ordered us cheesecake with fresh fruit, which was my absolute favourite. He was really spoiling me, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't suspicious._

_ "You're plotting something, aren't you?" I asked sceptically._

_ He blinked at me. "Me? No, I'm no good at plotting." _

_ "Hm…" I pushed my napkin to the side and shoved my purse up against the wall. "I'm going to the bathroom real quick. Don't plot while I'm gone."_

_ He chuckled at me. "I don't think you have anything to worry about." _

_ I gathered my feet out from under the table, careful not to trip over my black wedges, and followed the signs to the washrooms. The bathrooms were more well-lit than the rest of the place and it took my eyes some time to adjust to it. While I was washing my hands I checked my hair and makeup. My hair was in a messy up-do, just the way I liked it, and my red lipstick hadn't smudged while I ate. I made a mental note to continue purchasing the new lipstick brand I'd bought, because obviously it worked. But in my reflection I noticed the tiny worry lines on my forehead. I couldn't help but feel like something was up that I didn't know about. I couldn't deny that Zak's blushing and distracted air was disconcerting. It wasn't like him to be that bashful. But, me being me, I was likely over thinking the whole thing. I was too on-edge; I was noticing things that didn't really matter. It was just a regular date night and that was it._

_ I walked out of the washroom, again taking a minute to let my eyes adjust properly, and tried to retrace my steps back to our table. Luckily I managed to find it. Our cheesecake was on the table, but instead of sitting down, Zak was standing beside the table and fidgeting with his hands, looking entirely distraught. Instantly my stomach flopped over heavily. Something wasn't right here. It was times like this that I hated being right._

_ I walked slowly over to him, scared to hear what he was going to say. He lifted his blue eyes to me and they were wide, like a puppy's. He was biting his lip and that only made me fret more. He only did that when he was really, really nervous. And Zak Bagans was rarely nervous._

_ "Zak…?" I said uncertainly. People were looking at us. "What are you…?"_

_ He didn't speak. He just sunk down to one knee in front of me. He pulled something out of his pocket, a small leather case, and pulled it open. Inside was the most stunning ring I had ever seen. My heart leapt into my throat._

_ "Oh my god, Zak," I whispered shakily. My voice didn't sound like my own. "Get up…what are you doing?"_

_ "Lily," he murmured. His own voice shook slightly. "You've been with me for eight amazing years. Everyday when I wake up and I see you sleeping next to me I think back to that day when I found you in the library and I thank god I was cocky enough to track you down. You've given me an amazing step-daughter who I love more than I thought possible, and you've made me so happy. Even when I said I wanted to make a living hunting down ghosts, your love didn't falter. We've been through so much and, like you said, made so many memories. I want to make so many more with you, baby. So, I guess that leaves just one question. Will you marry me?"_

_ Tears started to leak from my eyes and I gave a tiny sob. I knew I wasn't going to be able to speak, so I nodded vigorously. He smiled the most breathtaking smile and slipped the ring onto my left hand before standing up and taking me in his arms. People were actually clapping for us! That only made it more special. The fact that complete strangers shared our happiness was amazing. I cried into Zak's shoulder and he held me tightly for a long time. I felt his lips against my hair and temple, and my butterflies were having spasms in my gut. So I had been right about something happening, but it'd been something absolutely amazing. I was going to be Mrs. Lily Bagans! The name made me smile so much my cheeks hurt. The thought of marrying Zak felt so right, I'd be perfectly okay if we got married by Elvis right that second. It was Vegas, after all._

_ He pulled back a bit, smiling down at me. "I love you," he said._

_ "I love you too," I murmured with a tiny sniffle, "forever."_

_ Zak leaned down, scooping up some cheesecake with his fork. "Here's to many more years of craziness," he said, putting it in his mouth._

_ I giggled and kissed him. "And many more to come…"_

My fond reverie was broken by the back door opening. Zak and I turned to find Avaya standing there, her long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and her wide brown eyes relieved.

"There you are," she said. "I was looking all over for you guys."

"How was school?" I asked, smiling at her over my shoulder. She was so grown up now. It scared me to think she was only fourteen; she'd look completely different in a few more years.

"It was alright," she shrugged. "I learned some stuff, I talked to some people, the usual."

Zak chuckled. "Pure sass," he mumbled.

I nudged him with my shoulder and checked the time on my phone. "Well you better hurry and get changed; you'll be late for volunteering at the NSPCA."

"That's why I was coming to look for you guys," she said. "Can one of you drive me down there?"

"I'll take you," Zak said, promptly standing up. I got up with him. "Maybe I can lend a hand, too."

I chuckled. "She's the one who needs volunteer hours for school, sweetie."

"I know, but I like it," he smiled.

"Alright, but you two better hurry or you'll be late." I gave them my Mom Look.

Avaya dashed back inside to get ready. Zak leaned in to kiss me.

"See you in a bit," he said.

"Have fun,"

I watched him disappear back into the house and I turned to see Gracie looking up at me. She tilted her head to the side as her tail thumped against the patio.

"Looks like it's just you and me, Grace," I gave the house an uneasy stare. "And hopefully no one else…"


End file.
